Locking devices for retractable awnings on a recreational vehicle are known. The lock prevents rotation of the awning drum when the awning is in a retracted position. Th awning is prevented from deploying when the recreational vehicle is being driven along a highway.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,078 to Frey, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,396 to Quinn disclose recreational vehicle awning locks having ratchet mechanism for locking the drum. U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,148 to Zindler discloses a recreational vehicle awning lock having a clutch brake within the drum whereas U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,629 provides a pair of locking pawl in the drum.
Because the prior art locks are complicated, they are expensive to manufacture. Complex lock designs also require careful maintenance due to the great number of moving parts. Further, because an awning lock on a recreational vehicle is subjected to substantial vibration and stress and exposure to variable weather conditions, the complex lock designs of the prior art are subjected to frequent failure. In addition, none of the prior art awning locks are adapted for use on a pre-existing awning that has already been installed on a recreational vehicle. Rather, the prior art locks require replacement of the entire awning with a new awning having and integral lock. This is not desirable for obvious reasons. Finally, prior art awning locks are not easily adapted to be removed from an awning. In those instances where the prior art lock is somehow removed from the awning, the roller tube or the recreational vehicle is usually damaged by permanent screw holes drilled into the recreational vehicle or the upright arm of the awning.